Thornton Manor

11

I was able to catch a nap, not in the hammock. I moved myself to my bed. I think all the crying made me exhausted.

*knock* *knock*

"You may come in," I yell from my bed.

Getting up I walk to the railing to look down at my door.

"Oh! It's just you," I say to Urban.

He laughs, "Were you expecting company?"

I groan, "No but I was hoping maybe the gods answered my prayers and sent me Stella."

As I walk back to my bed I can hear his house shoes on the metal of my winding staircase.

I offer, "You can sit on my bed if you'd like."

He nods and accepts by doing so. Sitting not too far away from me.

Urban sighs just before he says, "Aurelia, I know you do not have dad in your list of favorites right now. I do believe you need to think your actions through though. You need to be smart, play this like a business woman."

"How so?" I ask now intrigued.

He explains, "Treat him like he treats people who wish to work with him. Read them just as they do you, do your research. And if they cross you, which dad has. Use that research and all the information you've gathered against them."

I nod, "I think I understand."

Urban asks, "Are there camera's in here?"

I shake my head, "I don't believe so."

He stands up and looks around the room, finding many in his process and destroying them. I just about want to throw up. Why would that imbecile put cameras in his own daughter's room?

"How'd you know they were in here?" I ask.

He says, "Father did the same with me when you were very little."

He hands me a book with no title, the cover leather and says, "This carries every burden and every bad thing our father has ever done. I want you to read it and use it against him. Understood?"

I hug my brother tightly, "You have no idea how much I appreciate you!"

It's true, he's always been my favorite brother.

"I love you!" I say.

I can hear him chuckle, "I love you too, now please tell me why you're puffy eyed?"

I pull away and sigh as my posture slumps.

"Our father, he is so senseless. He's so traditional, I know he's older, he's what? 65 and mother only 55. Our father is the reason a patriarchal society still lives on. He views a woman less than nothing," my lips quiver as I say that.

"The only thing women are good for in his mind is the ability to bear a child. He has no idea what it is to be a woman... no idea what it's like to fight against that same patriarchy I talked of before," now I have tears running down my hot face.

"Our entire lives reduced down to a single moment. This, a marriage is the only thing our father has raised me for. This is all I am worth in his mind. But our mother, she has raised me to achieve better than greatness and she believes I can with her whole soul. In her beautiful mind I am worth more than any galaxy, more than any ring, and any other thing imaginable," my voice now shakes as I vent to him in a cry.

Urban's expression has dropped to that of sadness for me.

"I didn't know you viewed men like this, or dad for that matter," he says.

I shake my head, "No..." I can barely get the words out, "All women view men like this. All the women who have not been brainwashed by men like our father. Only women with sense view men like that. Which I hope to god is all women."

Urban looks so broken now, his eyes just as watered as mine. Except no tears run down his face.

I wipe my face and swallow my tears, "Now that you know, do you understand why so many women hate or distrust men?"

He nods, "Yes, yes I do."

I take a breath, a much needed one at that.

"Well good, if you'll excuse me. I need to freshen up for the promising day ahead," I say with a changed manner.

Urban nods and says, "I'll leave you to it. And, Aurelia for what it is worth I apologize."

I would ask for what but I know what for, for every man like my father.